Stories are better than screens

We are all addicted to our screens!

And it's becoming increasigly clear that too much time spent flicking through Instagram stories, spending hours on What's App or tweeting endlessly to random strangers is actually bad for our mental health.

Worse is the impact screens have on our children. I see it everywhere I go, kids glued to their phones on the bus, even staring at them whilst they're having Sunday lucnh with their parents, and the parents are doing it too!

I try really hard not to stare forlornly at my phone or iPad when I'm with my kids, but as I'm self employed sometimes it can be a bit of a juggling act. Nonetheless, we don't allow any phones at mealtimes, no TV or screens are allowed bedfore school and none of us take any screens up to our rooms before bed time.

It's just so sad to see families not talking to each other because everyone is staring at a device!

Is it really that important to look at other people's hoiday snaps on Facebook when you're meant to be having quality family time? I call it lazy parenting. And I also call it self harm, because that's exactly what it is. Dampening our senses and ironically making us less connected.

So how can we cut down our screen time but do something that also involves an act that's similar for our down time?

Read a book! Stories are a wonderful way for us all to learn about our own lives and to stretch our own imganation (you can't do that on Tik Tok, it's all there in front of you!).

So don't be afraid to grab that phone out of your child's hand, give him or her a good book and maybe even read it together? Talk about it, discuss what you like or don't like, try and guess what happens next. Make it a shared experience. And see how your minds will open up and you will feel less anxious and withdrawn.

Go on, try it!